Folsom Street Off-Ramp Realignment Project

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

The Folsom Street Off-Ramp project reached a major milestone July 21 when it was reopened to traffic.

The new off-ramp features safer conditions for pedestrians while creating a significantly more valuable parcel of land that will allow for development of new retail space and housing, more than one-quarter of which will be affordable.

The realigned Folsom Street Off-Ramp allowed for the creation of a new crosswalk, designed to help the flow of pedestrians in an increasingly residential area of downtown. The new crosswalk, which will allow pedestrians to cross the off-ramp where it meets Fremont Street, has an actuated pedestrian crossing phase. A pedestrian seeking to cross the off-ramp uses a push-button to activate the pedestrian crossing signal while the off-ramp traffic has a red signal. At all other times, the off-ramp traffic will have a green signal.

The design and construction was led by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority in collaboration with Caltrans, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and San Francisco Public Works.

BACKGROUND

The Office of Investment and Infrastructure (OCII), successor agency to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency (SFRA) is sponsoring the modification of the existing Fremont/Folsom Street off-ramp from westbound I-80 via the San Francisco Bay Bridge to function better as a gateway into a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood envisioned by the Transbay Redevelopment Project. As the Congestion Management Agency for the city, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA) is implementing the project on behalf of OCII, overseeing both design and construction of the project.

The existing Fremont/Folsom Street off-ramp from I-80 to downtown San Francisco includes one ramp that descends to Fremont Street mid-block between Howard and Folsom Streets at an approximately 90-degree angle and another ramp that descends in a diagonal direction to the intersection of Fremont and Folsom Streets. The former has been in existence for many years, and its design facilitates free left turns to Fremont Street northbound.

The Folsom Street Off-Ramp Realignment Project will modify both of these ramps in order to facilitate better pedestrian movement and to improve the pedestrian environment. The modified off-ramp terminus will be realigned perpendicular to Fremont Street and all existing right-turn and left-turn movements will be maintained. The new off-ramp T-intersection will include a new traffic signal, which will allow for new continuous sidewalk. This realignment will conform to the planned development goals of the Transbay Redevelopment Project Area.

PROJECT GOALS

Creating the off-ramp configuration to function better as a gateway into a pedestrian-oriented neighborhood.

Designing the off-ramp terminus to balance the functional needs of pedestrians, vehicular traffic, trucks and transit and to allow pedestrians comfortable access on both sides of Fremont Street.

Providing a new traffic signal at the off-ramp intersection and interconnect with adjacent intersections to increase efficiency.

Eliminating the Folsom Street diagonal ramp to allow maximum development of the Folsom-Fremont parcel just south of the ramp.

Allowing maximum revenue from the sale of the San Francisco Redevelopment Block 8 parcel, located between the off-ramp and Folsom Street, following its transfer from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to the City and County of San Francisco (CCSF).

PROJECT FUNDING AND SCHEDULE

The total construction cost for the proposed project is estimated at $4.7 million, including construction management and other support services. In June 2014, the construction contract was awarded to O.C. Jones & Sons, Inc., through a competitive bid process. The proposed project will be funded with OCII funds; it will not utilize any federal or state funds. O.C. Jones & Sons was awarded the contract with a total of 38.3% small business participation, ensuring that small and local businesses will benefit from the economic impact of this project. Construction of the proposed project began in September 2014 and will take approximately ten months to complete. The ramp will remain open during construction to traffic heading to northbound Fremont Street.